A blizzard in summer...

I’m writing on a hot and humid summer day in August. But I am also writing in a snowy and cozy mountain cabin in a blizzard. You see, I live in my own world as a writer, and at the same time, I am living in the real world. I cannot travel right now so I’ve learned little tricks to help me escape while writing. If you were to come into my home (where I am writing at this moment) you would hear and see the following: a fireplace going, and a blizzard raging outside. You would see snow-covered trees swaying in the wind with mountains in the background. You would see a cozy couch and old books on shelves next to a sturdy writing desk. You would see my cup of warm coffee on the table by the couch. And you would also see that none of that is real.

It is a YouTube video I’m playing on the larger computer screen next to the computer I write on. So, While I’m writing in the heat of summer, that is the scene I see out of the corner of my eye, those are the sounds I hear. It’s magical…. until I have to take my fur babies outside, that is lol.

The beautiful thing about the way we are made is that our minds are powerful creative forces. You may not be able to escape in the way that you would like, but you can turn on a video of the ocean and close your eyes and allow your imagination (even if only for a moment) to transport you. We were never designed to stop creating or stop playing or pretending. So, find little things that make your heart happy, the birds singing, the sunshine, a crackling fireplace, the smell of apple cinnamon. And then find a way to connect with those things, a YouTube video with sight and sound. Standing outside for a few min to take a deep breath. I have a couple of fall wax scents that were $2 each I keep just to open and smell them from time to time to be reminded of the happiness of fall lol.

There is beauty all around you. When we live in gratitude, we become more daily aware of all that beauty. It doesn’t mean the world isn’t messed up. It doesn’t mean there are not a lot of things that need to change. It doesn’t mean we are not struggling. But it does mean that when we focus on gratitude and the beauty of the world around us and in ourselves and in others, we are in a much healthier place to make a difference from. So, be thankful and find your way to take in that beauty, so you can put beauty back out.

Be honest, Be real, Be you

Bobbie De Leon